Dunk the junk! Californians say no to junk drinks and junk foods

Soda Sucks!

We stumbled upon this video by Will Haynes from our Richmond Building Healthy Community site. He made it for a Soda Sucks contest that challenges youth to create art that describes…..well, how soda sucks. We liked it so much we asked him to star in the video to your right called “I got this.” Check them out and pass them on.

At The California Endowment, we think soda sucks too. In fact, we don’t even think “soda” is the best term to describe these drinks. They’re junk. So we call them “junk drinks.”

Like most young people, Will is bombarded by ads from junk drink companies. So are low income communities. But Will and other young people are opting to dunk the junk. They’re standing up for themselves and their health. They want to make their own decisions about what they drink. And not be dictated to by corporations’ billion dollar marketing budgets.

That’s a good thing since junk drinks are a leading cause of the obesity epidemic. It’s time for all California communities to make Health Happen Here and dunk the junk!

Junk Drinks: What We’re Doing

Raising awareness of the unique harm of junk drinks to our children’s health

Encouraging Californians to kick the junk drink habit and drink healthy water instead

Making fresh potable water available to all Californians

Protecting children and young people from misleading advertising claims.

Elevating the voices of young people in the discussion about how to make healthy drink choices

Junk Foods: What We’re Doing

In neighborhoods dominated by fast-food restaurants and convenience stores, it’s difficult for families to put healthy food on the table. We’re working to bring healthy, affordable food retail to communities that lack access to fruits and vegetables. We and our partners are hard at work:

Your zip code shouldn't determine how long you live, but it does. Health Happens Here challenges us to think about health beyond doctor visits and diets. We have the power to make health happen where we live, learn and play.